Shadow of Substance
by yourmirroroferised
Summary: Plotbunny from Aphelion! Another ADMM Fic. It was Albus' fault they were about to be married... So begins the tale of friendship, love, guilt, and ultimately: ?. Read this tale of twisted destiny!
1. Chapter 1

A/N Well, this is my adaptation of aphelion's plotbunny I adopted on the ADMM board. The challenge was to create and Picard/Crusher scenario for ADMM (for all you Star Trek fans). For people who think I just typed in Greek, this is a lovely idea I adopted from a member of the ADMM board. The last one worked out pretty well, so here we go again!

Disclaimer: no

tm

in

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(hee, hee, my little tribute to e e cummings !! and if you've never seen it, read _a(_ his poem, aleaffalls it's worth it!)

Frustrating. That was the only way to describe the pounding fist that rammed up his throat right now, and threatened to ruin this happy occasion for him. Of all people, you'd think he'd be the happiest. She was his favorite and most advanced student two years ago. And her husband-to-be had been his semi-apprentice and close friend for the past three years. It had all worked out so nicely. Everyone said the match was simply charming. Magic couldn't have made a better one. He wanted show them what magic could really do. He wanted to hex the groom into an alternate universe. He wanted to tear the veil from the brides' eyes and make her see the love he harbored for her.

Slowly, He opened the door to the groom's dressing room. A mischievous smile precariously pasted over the truth, he approached the jittery young man who stood desperately attempting to straighten his tie. In truth, the wizard was quite a handsome man. His features sang with the conviction and promise of youth. The winning grin, the richly layered grey eyes, the flaxen hair that never quite seemed under control all indicated a talented, and one day powerful wizard. Even the way he walked exuberated a charm that attracted influential people to him. This man was made to succeed. And today, all his ambitions were coming true. Horatio McGonagall was going to marry Minerva Daugherty.

_Minerva McGonagall._ He corrected himself with a mix of irony and sarcasm. _You're the one to blame for this whole mess anyway. If you hadn't intervened, they probably would still be fighting to this day!_

"All ready, Professor Dumbledore?" Horatio turned nervously from the mirror.

"Horatio, you are no longer serving as my apprentice. You can simply call me Dumbledore." He corrected, thinking to himself _You are no longer my apprentice, but my better, because you had the opportunity, and the right to say to her what I could not. _

"Of course, Pro- I mean, Dumbledore." The young man's eyes spasmodically measured the face of his watch for the hundredth time that minute.

"The ceremony is ready, Horatio. Your bride awaits." Albus made a grand sweeping motion toward the officious hall selected for the ceremony. Horatio half-tripped over his shining shoes as he lurched toward the door. "Slow down, man! After you've worked so hard to tame your hair, I'd hate to see it rumpled by pre-marital jitters!" He followed the giddy young man down the aisle, silently listing all the things he would give to be in Horatio's place.

Minerva looked rather green.

Poppy Pomfrey had known Minerva Daugherty since their first year. Both had been sorted into Griffindor, but had not really become close friends until they both ended up serving detention together after Poppy and Minerva were caught out of the dormitories after curfew. Minerva had been attempting to exact revenge on a Slytherin who had insulted her mother, and Poppy had been trying to stop her. That was the way the majority of their school went.

Xiomara Hooch was too busy fastening up the back of Minerva's dress to notice the unsettling palette on her face. Xiomara had been involved in all of their schemes as well. She had served detention at the same time, only she had broken into the school's broom closet and was caught recklessly zooming around the grounds unsupervised. Infamously labeled the "Gryffindoor Girls" Minerva would engineer some inane plot, Xiomara would perfect it, and Poppy would make sure that a minimal amount of people were maimed along the way.

But this was a scheme beyond any of their past endeavors. Minerva was getting married today. Xiomara and Poppy were both maids of honor. They had gotten her this far, now, Poppy wasn't sure they could get her down the aisle with the contents of her stomach intact. Poor Minerva, she could outwit any ghost at Hogwarts, was about to become a first-rate auror, and could transfigure a peanut into an elephant, but she couldn't face the man of her dreams. What an odd way to approach such bliss.

Then again, Minerva had never really approached this marriage from the traditional standpoint.

The day Horatio proposed, Minerva had been furious. Well, not to Horatio's face. But Poppy had endured at least two hours of Minerva's fury before she decided to accept the proposal. Minerva had forcefully confided to Poppy that this was entirely inappropriate, and that she would never accept a proposal from him. She had exasperatedly screeched that she wasn't good enough.

_Why can't he go find someone perfect, like him?_ Minerva had demanded, turning her flaming visage on the impossible cool Poppy.

_He did, dear, that's why he asked you,_ She had smiled back.

_But Poppy, this isn't right, what if… what if… _Poppy looked up at her sharply, studying Minerva's features carefully. It wasn't like her to stop mid-rant. Her nine-year-long tutelage in Minerva Daugherty's expressions had taught her Minerva was hiding something just then, but Minerva pressed on. _Oh, Lord! What am I waiting on? I love the man! Right? So I'll marry him! _And with the same hurricane style that she had intruded on the serenity of the room, she departed.

Now, six months later, there was none of the blustering, thunderous courage that had been so inseparable from her friend's nature. Minerva was nervous as, well, a cat. Though Minerva's recent achievement of her Tabby animagus two years ago still left her sensitive to cat-jokes.

A collected knock at the door informed Poppy that it was time to get Minerva down the aisle. Xiomara, looking hilariously neat and tidy in her pink bride's maid dress, held one of the Minerva's hands between her own, as Poppy handed Minerva her bouquet. Together, the trio made their way to the aisle. Together, Xiomara (still a bit tipsy from Minerva's bachelorette party the night previous) and Poppy promenaded down the aisle. Poppy frequently glanced behind her to check that Minerva was still following. _Yes, there's that fortuitous gleam, _Poppy smiled reassuringly as Minerva regained her normal gusto. _Our Min is back!_

This was at once, the most triumphant, and the most frustrating moment of Albus Dumbledore's life. His Minerva, his favorite student, one of the most accomplished students of transfiguration he had yet encountered, was getting married. She was moving up in life, maturing, fulfilling more of her promising life. But it was all wrong. In a few moments, he, Alastor Moody, Poppy Pomfrey and Xiomara Hooch would join this couple together in a series of bonding spells. He was tying her to another man. Minerva, the girl he loved.

But that was the problem, wasn't it? She was just a girl, barely twenty years old. He was over eighty. People would viciously tear at a couple like that. Besides, she was his best-friends girl. Over the past three years, Albus had discovered the depth and solace that was Horatio McGonagall. Horatio had volunteered to be a sort of assistant to Albus gathering critical information against Grindelwald, and generally helping him whenever necessary. The Minister had noticed that Dumbledore was slipping, what with his duties on the Wizengamut, organizing the covert resistance to Grindelwald, teaching at Hogwarts, and gathering information against this powerful dark wizard, Albus was nearly split in two with his obligations. Horatio had done anything he asked, from finding Grindelwald's contact points to getting Fawkes pet food to filling out legal forms to teaching his classes on occasion. That was where he met Minerva. And Albus had practically showed him the way.

_How blind I was! _Albus shrieked at himself. _Now, she will be his, forever. _ Minerva had reached the platform. The quartet encircled the couple. Albus raised his wand and swallowed back the irony that threatened to crack his voice. They began the binding spell, "By the power of Love…"

A/N Yep, there she be, the first little piece anyway. Tell me what you think. You know that little button down there that says, "GO" just hit it and drop me a line. Love Y'all.


	2. Guess Who's Coming to Dinner?

Disclaimer: Whose Book this is I think I know, She has a lot of money though, And will not see my drabble here, And maybe she can let it go. (A parody of Robert Frost's Stopping by the woods on a Snowy Evening)   
A/N Let's see where she goes. 

Life had been going smoothly for Minerva McGonagall. She was now an official Auror. Three years of intensive training, and endless tests to prove herself as a witch. Domestic life was rather looking up as well. She and Horatio had found a lovely little flat in London, where she would not be far from her Auror duties, and Horatio could maintain his position in the Law Enforcement Division of the Ministry. He obtained this post four months ago, shortly before their marriage, and had there after completed his duties as Albus' apprentice. Albus had given him his blessing as well as a few deeply sounded warnings about the inner gears of the often inept Ministry.   
Despite their job frustrations, the couple managed to keep a very pleasant home life. They were settling into their apartment quite comfortably, and had even gotten to know some of their muggle neighbors. Horatio was so proud of Minerva's accomplishments in the house keeping department he decided to invite Albus Dumbledore and Alyssia Gravamont over for dinner. Alyssia was the current Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher, and a close friend of Minerva's from her school days. She had volunteered to accompany Albus as Armando Dippet had been ill lately.   
Minerva had been slightly uncomfortable with this invitation, but could not formulate a reasonable excuse to give Horatio.   
_Well, you see, dear, _She had pictured herself saying to Horatio, _it's not that I do not like Albus, it's simply that he… well, he makes me uncomfortable. I know we were good friends during my school days, but things have changed since then, and well…_ And that was where it always stopped. Things had definitely changed since her school days. Or was it simply since her marriage. Albus had been her head of house, and as such, had encouraged her to become an animagus, and ultimately an auror. He had helped her train for the difficult transformation into a cat, and taught her how to maintain that shape for significant periods of time. She had spent invaluable hours under his tutelage. But he had been more than just a professor. After her family was killed by Grindelwald at the end of her seventh year, he became a sort of best friend. During the hardest days of her training, she could always count on a hot cup of ginger tea and relaxing game of chess in front of his fireplace as she told him all of her troubles. This chess matches occurred at least once a week, up until her wedding. But now, she had not even seen his face for four months. Not since the wedding reception. To tell the truth, she was a bit put off by this treatment. And a bit confused.   
_What does it mean? _She thought to herself as she finished up the last touches of her masterpiece for dinner that evening, _I know he likes Horatio, they were practically father and son for three years. But what is it then? Surely it wasn't something I did? _   
Her musings were interrupted by the doorbell. Horatio leapt excitedly down the hall, still fastening the collar of his shirt. He was so excited to have a home in which to have guests you'd think it was a game to him. He had practically tripped over his own shadow, running all over the house, offering to help in the kitchen and being soundly refuted, setting the table (incorrectly, Minerva smiled to herself as she noted the switching of the fork with the spoon), and generally making sure their house was perfect for their first official visitors.   
Everything went just as smoothly as Horatio could have imagined. Their guests were entirely charmed by the cliché of the newly-weds' first, perfect little roost. Dinner was truly an explosion of good taste. Minerva secretly developed her hidden culinary talent to its greatest extent. Even Horatio, who had been present at her table for the past three months, and beyond, marked the meal as one of her greatest endeavors. The splendor of the food, however, was the only comment Albus addressed to Minerva at the meal. The rest of the conversation drifted to the ineffectual state of the Ministry and the economic condition of a war-enflamed continent. Passing words flew from one mouth to the other, but Albus never spoke directly to Minerva. Secretly, she lodged this in her heart as another grievance in their unstable friendship. The meal finished, with all sated, and the group moved to the living room. After they were comfortably settled, Alyssia requested an exhibition of the wedding pictures.   
As the photo album closed, Horatio suddenly had an inspiration, "Oh, Albus! I have the most splendid game to show you!"   
"You know me too well, Horatio!" Albus grinned, his childish gleaming roaring in his smile "I am always victim for a new game!"

"Oh!" Minerva stood up, catching Horatio's drift, "Do you mean?..."   
"Yes! Will you get it dear?" Minerva departed, while Horatio explained, "Some of our Muggle neighbors gave this to us as a house warming gift. It's really hilarious. You have to draw pictures for your teammates, and… oh, what was it called? Pictogram? Pict- Ah, here she is!" Horatio, smiled as Minerva came back with a small, blue box.   
"Pictionary," Minera announced, and with a flourish, she removed the lid, and set about explaining the rules. They divided up with the men on one team and the women on the other. The game was an instant success. Alyssia balked at the rule of not using magic.   
"I've never been any good at art!" She moaned, "That's why I studied DADA so I could blow things up instead!"   
"That's the point, Alyssia!" Minerva smiled, "it's supposed to be awkward!" Albus proved very adept at drawing stick figures, and proved to be quite the elementary artist. He and Horatio were on a winning streak. Pencil in hand, he picked up the next card, read the word, and with that word, his eyes became hollow. Only Minerva saw this moment, for his smile rebounded back into place in the next second, and Alyssia and Horatio had ended their debt on whether their last win had been valid, because, owl-post was not actually "Muggle-post" as Alyssia put it. Horatio flipped over the timer, and Albus tripped along, he started one drawing, and just as it became something, he scratched it out. He tried a second and a third, and impulsively blotted them out. Finally the timer ran out, and it was up to the ladies to guess. Minerva had seen something, during one of his drawings. Two stick people holding hands. She had an idea.   
"Albus… is it, is it love?" She tried, still smiling in the festive spirit of the game.   
"Yes, it is!" He smiled that disconcertingly hollow smile again, "Though how you could have guessed that from my scrawling is beyond me!"   
Alyssia won the game for the women by sketching Peeves to represent "destruction".   
"Now, if you gentlemen will excuse us for a moment, I want to take Minerva on a walk," She winked as the game was packed away, "So we can share all the dirty little secrets of married life."

"We'll just occupy ourselves here, then," Horatio nodded, stepping back. Once the door was closed, Albus spoke up.   
"Very smart, Horatio," He imparted with a war-seasoned look, "Never come between women when they want to talk!" 

After they had discussed the "dirty little secrets of married life", Alyssia's voice rapidly took on a serious tone.   
"Minerva, what was your relationship to Albus?" Her face was even set in a much more tense position, as if preparing for a not-so-pleasant answer.   
"Relationship? Well, as of now, I can't really tell you, as the man hasn't spoken to me in over three months! As for what it was… Well, we were friends. He helped me adjust to life after my family was killed in my seventh year. He was sort of solid, grounding voice of comfort. You know how caring he is!" Minerva glanced towards her companion. Alyssia's husband had been captured in a fight against Grindelwald. Albus had been the one to comfort her after the initial shock. And had eventually help mount a rescue for him.   
"But did you ever… well go any deeper than friendship?" Alyssia advanced awkwardly   
"You mean? Alyssia! I'm surprised that you would think!!!" Minerva stopped and stared in shock.   
"I didn't, dear! Not at first! But Albus hasn't been himself lately. And it started around the time you got married. So well, one thing connecting to another…" Alyssia turned to face Minerva, "I'm sorry, dear, I didn't truly think, I'm just worried about Albus. He's been so secluded lately, I've started to worry about him."   
"So you've noticed too?" Minerva sighed, resuming their walk.   
"It's not something that most people will notice. Just a little less ring in his voice, and a bit more weight in his step." Alyssia scrunched the corners of her mouth in thought, "But at eighty years old, he's in the prime of his life! Surely he's not just feeling old!"

"Albus? Old? Never! What gave you that idea?" Minerva laughed at the very thought of such a childish man becoming aged.   
"He did, himself! I confronted him on his new melancholy, and he said he was 'simply feeling old'" Alyssia sighed.   
"Maybe I should talk to him! I don't know why he won't speak to me! After all, I used to spend practically every other night playing him at chess for the past two years!" Minerva determinedly set her foot on the apartment stairs. "He can't shut me out now, simply because I am a married woman!"   
Once in the apartment, Horatio called Minerva and Alyssia into the living room.   
"Minerva, Dumbledore has been telling me about his 'underground' network against Grindelwald. You know how I've been saying that the Ministry isn't doing enough to stop this terrible infestation?" Horatio's eyes were on fire. Minerva hadn't seen him this passionate since, well…, "Dumbledore is giving me the solution. I could move into enemy territory and begin establishing contacts and doing reconnaissance work. Dumbledore says their getting closer to storming Grindelwald's stronghold!"   
"What!? Is this true, Albus?" Minerva sat down on the couch across from him, waiting for affirmation of this unrealistically good news. For nearly seven years, they had endured wave upon wave of refugees bearing the sad stories of massacres, roundups, and terrible persecution from the continent. Now, there was a way to help these people find an end to their suffering?

"Yes. We are getting close to that time. He is loosing his hold on his followers, his madness is becoming too dangerous for them." Albus had a completely different spark filling his eyes now. Now he was, as some had majestically claimed, The Most Powerful Wizard of the Age. "We need someone to look for his secret stronghold and find ways into it. This would be a difficult and dangerous task, but it is necessary so that we may risk as few lives as possible when we finally sweep out his lair." "Horatio! This is wonderful! When can we leave?" she excitedly gathered his hands and started fiddling with his watch, never tearing her eyes from his. Their time of sitting idle was over!

"Minerva, are you sure you want to do this?" Horatio asked slowly, pushing down his excitement at the prospect of endangering Minerva, "We would both be in danger constantly. One or both of us will very likely be injured, possibly even killed."   
"Darling, if you had seen any of the refugees we've rescued! Two lives seems a small price to pay for peace." Her face assumed an invincible outlook, but her eyes betrayed how shaken she was by the horrors the survivors had described.   
"All right then, Dumbledore, we're ready! When can we leave?" Horatio turned to face Albus. Behind Dumbledore, Alyssia stood framed in the doorway. She was involved in the underground network as well, but the thought Minerva in such danger left her uneasy.   
"Do you realize what this means?" The DADA teacher's eyes were hung with the curses of past atrocities. "The two of you are young, healthy! You have your entire lives ahead of you! Do you know what you are risking?"   
Minerva stood to assure her friend, "Alyssia, Horatio and I have sat here in our comfortable apartment for the past three months, while everyday, hundreds of children, babies, people our age are being systematically slaughtered! Albus has just told us we have an opportunity to end this. What do you expect us to do?" Minerva was now locking eyes with her former professor.   
"I suppose that 'being sensible' is too subjective a plea to make at this point." Alyssia sighed, then she turned to the only person who had left their opinion out of the present debate, "Albus, you haven't said anything. Tell these foolish children what you think!" She huffed.   
"Horatio, Minerva, I understand what you say about feeling left out of the fight. Lately, our government has become passive, leaving ambitious, young witches and wizards like yourselves to turn to their own devises. But this does not erase the injustice in the world. You know feel that you have the opportunity to do so. But go into this being warned, you are both very young, and incredible inexperienced. You cannot begin to foresee the pain that would result if something were to happen to one of you. Knowing this, I have full confidence in which ever decision you make as being the best one for both of you." The Professor's eyes had lost their courage, and became somewhat fatherly. "I would, however, feel better about this if you discussed it on your own. You can owl me your decision at your earliest convenience. Alyssia, I believe it is time for us to go." He said abruptly donning his cloak, and nodding goodnight to his hosts. Belatedly, they jumped to their feet and ran to fulfill their social duties.   
Once the door was shut, Minerva and Horatio began getting ready for bed, holding earnest conversation the while.   
"Minerva, this is very dangerous. We might not have a place to sleep or anything to eat at times." Horatio warned, pulling off his socks, and glancing at his wife, who was sitting in her forest-colored dressing gown, brushing out her eternal raven hair.   
"For heaven's sake, dear! I'm an Auror after all! I know how to live with out!" Minerva seemed rather miffed, and turned back to the mirror, apparently diverting her energy to a sudden snag in the silk of her head. She rejoined, "Yes, and there will be battles, murder and blood." Her eyes acquiring their haunted glaze as she laid down her brush and proceed to the bed.   
"But, this would be really helping! Getting our hands dirty and pulling the foundation from under this tyrant's feet." Her husband fiercely pulled his tie, almost snapping it with the vengeful frustration that crackled from his fingers.   
"No more refugees." Minerva said quietly as she poured back onto the bedspread. Horatio felt her need, and wrapped her in his reassuring embrace. They staid that way for a while, simply giving and taking strength from one another.   
"We are both quite young. If something were to happen to either one of us…" The young would-be hero took a sobering breath, "Minerva, darling, promise me that if anything happens to me, if I die, you'll find happiness elsewhere. If the opportunity should present itself, I would want you to find another husband."   
"Horatio, we don't need to think about…" but his finger came to stop her lips, and his eyes pulled hers in a reprimand, "I promise. And you must do the same. If anything happens to me, find happiness wherever it presents itself." They sealed their pact with a tired, burdened kiss. 

Out on the street, seeking a safe place to apparate, Albus was being thoroughly chastised by Alyssia.   
"Albus, they're children! What do you mean filling his head with ideas of foolish heroics!" his colleague and long-standing confidant hissed, "Minerva is just now finding happiness after two years mourning the loss of her entire family! And Horatio has never even had a family to mourn, poor boy! At least now they have each other! But you would take that away from them?!?" Alyssia stepped in front of her companion, prevent further progress.   
"Alyssia, answer me this. If this had been during the first great up rising, what the muggles called the War to End All Wars, were you as cool minded? Did you and your husband value your lives more than the millions being lost at the hands of a cruel dark lord?" His gaze shamed her into confession.   
"No, I don't suppose I would be able to endure knowing that I had been idle, while millions suffered." Her voice trailed off into the growing fog. "I just don't want to see either of those two hurt again. Minerva is like a daughter to me!"   
"We can't guarantee our lives," Albus smiled in a terribly sad way to his fellow Professor, before stepping into an empty alley, just before he apparated, he finished, "We can only live them." 

Let me know what you think. I would appreciate any/all criticism/rejection/completely unrelated statements (I'm notorious for making completely unrelated statements) Thank you for your continued patience and attention! REVIEW!   
Yours. 


	3. France

Disclaimer: JKR owns all of Harry Potter.

A/N: Well, this was certainly a long time in coming, but family matters unfortunately have a way of demanding time from you hobbies. So here's the next update!!

Silence reigned in Dumbledore's office. Alyssia had come at his request to hear their response. What she read therein frosted her face, and stiffened her posture.

"You're going to let them do this?" She demanded in a dangerously cold, soft voice, "Throw their lives at the feet of this maniac butcher?"

"It's not about me letting them, Alyssia, they are both adults. We can only respect their decision and accept it." Albus maintained his stance facing the mantelpiece, "I must tell you that I had little part in this."

"Don't you dare try to say that now, Albus Dumbledore!!!" Alyssia hissed with something frigidly close to hatred in her demeanor. "You are the one that suggested this path to him. If you hadn't opened your…."

"No, I wish that was the case. Then I would have a rightful claim to the guilt I carry." Albus sighed and seemed to loose a great deal of his carriage. He turned to face Alyssia, and she instantly wanted to pull her rebuke out of his ears. His face was tear-stained, and scarred with guilt. "It is partly my fault. I should have known better than to give such a headstrong young man access to such dangerous information. But he was always so clever that he learned to sneak into my confidence.

"Before I knew it, he had come up with a plan for crumbling Grindelwald's defenses, and presented it to me. The only problem was that it required an observer to basically sacrifice their lives in order to obtain the need surveillance position. I opposed this, naturally, but he insisted that this would save too many lives for me to baulk at one or two lives.

"But the more he contemplated it, the more apprehensive he grew. Finally, he decided that he was the perfect man for the job, and no one else could satisfactorily fulfill this position. He told me that unless he was given the job of "watcher" as the post was called, he would destroy the plans. It was too dangerous for anyone else to attempt, he claimed.

"I brought up the subject of Minerva. This being only two weeks ago, he was all ready married, and had a home and a life. I protested that he was throwing away his future. So Horatio went home to seriously consider his decision."

"Albus!! How could he even think about endangering the two of them in this way?" Alyssia had taken refuge in the support of a near by arm chair. Her worn out hands gripped the fabric of the arms with a vicious ferocity.

"He seemed deeply distraught, but finally came to me with this proposal." Albus drew a great breath, for his next speech was his most difficult. "He asked me to present this to Minerva as if it was my idea. That way, he could get her honest opinion without her feeling obligated to comply because it was her husband's idea. I refused, at first. I have never enjoyed employing deception, especially between married couples. But last Monday, we received a report of another mass deportation. They're slaughtering whole villages of people, Alyssia."

His speech was suspended, as his eyes reached for hers, trying to help her understand the pain this etched into his soul, knowing that all these people were being mercilessly discarded.

"Horatio asked me again to help him end this, and I could not refuse. I found no alternative, and time was clearly an unavailable luxury. Last night, I fulfilled the plan. Minerva accepted it with her usual Gryfindoor Courage. So now, they leave for France in a week."

Alyssia sat staring dismally out Albus's window. Behind her eyes, one could hear the horrors of her past war experiences. More than anything, she wanted this couple to be free from the pain she had experienced in losing her husband as a captive. But at the same time, millions were dying.

"I must respect their decision, then." She fumbled, after a terror ridden silence. "And I do not blame you, Albus. This is a decision that had to be made for the greater good, you are simply the one to have to make it." With that, she rose, as if under the Imperius, and left his office.

Considering that she was leaving for a life threatening mission, from which neither she or her husband were likely to return, Minerva McGonagall was in an irresponsibly good mood as she packed their trunks. She was happy to be living in France for the next three months, for so the plan went.

Minerva loved to travel, and France was simply bursting with beautiful sights. It seemed foolish on the brink of war, to approach this mission as a sort of second honeymoon to the City of Love. But, as Minerva reasoned, it was better than sobbing all the time, as she felt like doing whenever she pondered the idea of loosing Horatio. This was something bigger than either her or Horatio, and her petty emotions had no right to interfere.

When Horatio had come home last night to find her singing as she packed, she had merely responded, "I might as well enjoy this, right?" Then she smiled coyly at him, "How many times in her life does a girl get to go out and save the world with the man she loves?"

Horatio had responded with a wolfish smile, "I hope dinner won't be too long, because the only thing I'm really hungry for is you, darling." And they shamelessly enjoyed their time in their little home, as only two new, young lovers can do.

This was their last day to pack, and tomorrow, they would be relocating to the one-room hovel that Albus's sources had managed to locate in one of the darker quarters of the right bank.

They eat their meal in near silence that night, each steeping in their own far-flung ideas. Finally Horatio spoke.

"You know, darling, this is beyond anything I would have planned for us to do together. I'm asking you to give up your life. As husband and wife, we're supposed to protect each other from harm. Now I seem to be dragging you into it." Horatio sighed with a half-smile.

"And what gives you the audacity to believe that you can drag me anywhere?" Minerva returned playfully, "Horatio, this is my decision as well. And…" Minerva paused to gather her thoughts. This might be one of their last opportunities over the next few months to hold a close, sharing conversation with each other.

"I love you, more than I believed possible," Minerva saw the disbelieving look on his face, "Oh, yes, right up until the day, I married you, I didn't think it was possible to love someone this much. But now I see what we have, and I see everything about you. All these things had shown me how deeply I love you, Horatio McGonagall. And if I have the opportunity to save the world with you, I count myself a very fortunate woman."

Horatio took her hand, gazed into her eyes, secretly regretting his decision to use deception to manipulate his wife. He had never truly sounded her courage, "Minerva, you continue to amaze and delight me, every morning, when I wake up to your beautiful lips, and every night, when I saw goodnight to the same. You never fail to love me, and accept and support me. I love you, and more than that, I want to get through this mission, so that I can continue to love you, until the end of time."

The flat was actually a basement of a boulangarie, which Albus had managed to carve out with Muggles noticing. The only entrance was a narrow set of stairs in the alley behind the shops. This entrance had been enchanted to prevent Muggles seeing it. The couple would remain undisturbed for the duration of the their mission. The basement had a small kitchen, a little bedroom, a sitting room with space for two chairs, and a bathroom. Minerva and Horatio settled in without incident.

Their mission was to survey the surrounding quarters for signs of Grindelwald's followers. Albus had a fairly strong idea of the hideout's location. But with Grindelwald's regime sliding so fluidly, his desperation might cause a trickle of unkept secrets. This would be their chance to find the hideout and plan a more detailed attack.

The first two weeks went very well, but with little progress. Minerva covered the city to the north of them, and Horatio scoured south. At night, both gathered together over the nourishment purchased from the bakery above, and shared their observations from the day. There was little else to do. Paris was a ruined city thanks to the occupation. There were still parties to be found if one knew the right people, but they were usually dispelled by paranoid troops. The McGonagalls had decided to spare themselves this kind of dangerous attention, and would spend the darker hours reading books out loud to each other.

Minerva loved the sound of Horatio's voice. It seemed to flow from a deep, calm pool, like a light that never flickered but warmed her with a steady love. Listening to him read the passages of Muggle fiction filled her with an irrational peace that allowed her eyes to rest uninterrupted by the sound of gunshots and horrified screams from the night.

Finally, the third week produced an interesting effect. As Minerva prepared to slip, unmarked unto the street above, she opened the door. Lying on the steps outside the door was a little girl, about seven or eight years of age. She looked very thin, and shook with a fever obtained from the damp weather that had seeped about the last week. After a blinking hesitation, Minerva swept the child inside and shut the door again. Horatio had come out to see why she had returned, and saw the bundle in her arms.

"Minerva!! What are you doing? Are you trying to get us killed?" He nonetheless pulled the child into his arms while Minerva pulled a blanket from a box. After they had tucked the child into their bed, Horatio pulled her into the kitchen. "Why did you bring her in here? What if she's a Muggle? What if she gets away and tells someone about this place? What if she's a sp…"

"Has it come to that?" Minerva's eyes were sharper than a knife as her admonition sang from its sheath. "A feverish little girl becomes a dangerous spy?" Minerva looked over Horatio's shoulder toward the bedroom. Besides, she can't be Muggle, or she never would have found the stairs on her own. Now, I say we should take care of her for now, and we can get her too an orphanage, or her parents, or whoever after she's well."

"She must not leave this basement until then!" Horatio warned.

"You have my word, Horatio McGonagall." Minerva kissed him lightly, "I'll stay with her until she wakes up."

The sun had barely parted company with the sky when the little girl's eyes finally cracked open. Minerva was at her side, removing the cloth that had cooled her forehead.

"Hello, don't be afraid! I'm here to take care of you!" Minerva whispered in her most reassuring voice. Part of her Auror training, which she had never relished, was to develop a fluency in at least two other languages, thankfully, she had chosen German and French.

The little girl peered around her dreamily, "Where am I?"

"You're in the basement that you slept outside of last night." Minerva smiled lightly as she touched the girl's hand soothingly. "My name is Minerva, and I promise not to hurt you. Now, what's your name, darling?"

The little girl pulled inside herself, and turned to face the wall. Minerva bit her lip. She had never excelled in handling children. This was frustrating to her, because she had hoped to have children one day, but she seemed completely inept at forming basic relationships with them. She set her hopes on her husband's return.

_Perhaps he can charm a few words from her._ Minerva quipped to herself, as she left the child to another nap.

That night, Horatio was soaked, frustrated, and still without a lead. He came through the door, and pulled off his sopping wet coat. Minerva kissed him hello, and helped him into the shower. The child slept while they ate supper.

"Isn't she awake now?" Horatio asked, noting Minerva's bad mood.

"Oh, yes, she's awake!" Minerva half laughed, "She simply refuses to talk to me."

"Ahhh," Horatio knew that Minerva had never been very talented in earning children's friendship. "I'll see what I can do, darling."

"Thank you," Her eyes smiled up at him over her bowl of soup. "Not even a trace of Grindelwald?" She prodded.

"Nothing!!" He almost shouted, then stopped himself. "It's so hard to go out day after day, knowing that each minute costs someone their life!"

"We'll find something soon, darling, don't…"

Suddenly there was a crash from the bed room, and the girl started to wail. Minerva leapt from her seat and had the child cradled in her arms in a minute. Sitting on the edge of the bed, she rocked the little girl, who had fallen from the bed. Horatio followed in and stood quietly at the door. For a moment, a thought flashed through his mind. A sort of picture of Minerva and he like this, five years from now, with their own little baby. But he returned to reality as Minerva called him over to talk to the little girl.

"Hello there, mademoiselle!" Horatio, knelt before the bed, "How should I address such a lovely lady?" Horatio's French was smooth as chocolate. Being a ministry official, he was required to be fluent in the major languages of diplomacy.

The little girl eyed him suspiciously, with one brow raised, then she took a deep breath and answered, "Mireille, monsieur."

"What a lovely name!" Horatio sat on the bed next to her, "Now, do you have a family, Mademoiselle Mireille?" Minerva held her breath.

"Yes, I had a mama and a papa." She replied, very quietly this time, scooting deeper into Minerva's arms.

"Had, Mireille?" Minerva asked gently, peering into the reddened eyes.

"Yes!!" the child commenced to sobbing. Minerva rocked her back and forth, rubbing her back the whole time. Soon the child's shaking slowed, and she continued, "They were fighting a very bad wizard, Grindelwald, and he came and took them away!!"

As the little girl wailed again, Minerva and Horatio exchanged excited gazes over their guest's head. "Do you know where he took them, Mireille?" Horatio asked, taking her hand.

Mireille pushed her head up from her knees, and peered sincerely at each of them, "If I tell you, would you help me find them?"

"We promise to help you, Mireille," Horatio smiled.

"Then I know where they are hiding, I followed after, trying to stay with them, and I can show you where they are!!" Mireille was smiling now, these people would help her!

Horatio and Minerva's faces echoed her smile. They had found their guide!!

A/N Well, tell me if this is worth continuing. I do love hearing from you guys, you know this!


	4. The Cost

Disclaimer: JKR would have had time to write much more, and in a more timely manner. I am not her.

A/N Well, here's the next installment. I get bored in my super easy classes, so this is what I've gotten done.

Minerva's eyes slide open. Today was The Day. By routine she sat up and was about to get dressed, when her hand was caught from the other side of the bed. Horatio was sitting there. He had been watching her as she slept. But now he held her hand. Their eyes connected for a glance, and then she was pulled into his strong arms. They stayed there for a time beyond time, their bodies pressed together.

Once the moment disintegrated, they slid mechanically through their morning routine. Over breakfast, they reminded Mireille where the food they had prepared for her was hidden and to go to the orphanage if they had not returned for her by the time the food was gone. Before they stepped out the door, they latched souls in a desperate kiss.

They crouched outside the window. Hands were clinched on wands. The moment they entered the stronghold, even through an old coal shaft, they would be releasing any hope of turning back. Horatio looked down the shaft, turned to his wife, and kissed her, softly and briefly. Turning away, he jumped down into the blackness. Minerva followed, and was unsurprised to find Horatio all ready creeping out of the basement. His job was to stealthily take out as many Knights of Walpurgis as possible. Minerva was to scout out the ground floor in the guise of her animagus form. In an hour the rest of the resistance would arrive to begin the sortie.

The stronghold was an enormous fortress, disguised as a derelict factory in a nearly abandoned section of Paris. There were no existing maps of the bastion. The resistance was merely supposed to come and follow Minerva's description to form a plan for ridding the earth of this evil stain.

The hour was torturous. Minerva crept through the stone labyrinth, estimating the number of wizards and witches necessary to win each fight. A few times, she was spotted, and she was forced to pretend that she was an attention-starved stray cat. She was usually booted for her efforts. But at the end of the hour, Minerva had mentally mapped the bottom two floors.

Returning to the basement, she was greeted by Albus, she hurriedly explained the layout of the floors she had surveyed. From her description, Albus began assigning orders to the resistance members. Soon the first wave left the basement led by Albus, the next five departed in set increments. Minerva's group was the last. They raced onto the first floor, to find it vanquished. There was a battle taking place to gain the stairs to the second floor. Albus was at the head of the charge. As the resistance surged forward en masse, they broke through.

It was a terrible day. From crimson sunrise to blood-covered sunset, many good people died on both sides. Innocence was shattered. Albus and Minerva had reached the fourth floor, Grindelwald's den, just as twilight fled. Albus was hardly scratched, but Minerva had taken a quite few severe blows, and, as Alyssia would say later, "Shouldn't have gotten that far." The remainder of the force was clearing the building of Knights still.

As they rushed toward the door to Grindelwald's private apartment, they failed to notice the guard in the corner. A foot from the door they encountered a barrier charm. Albus set to work on this instantly as Minerva whorled around to guard their back.

Simultaneously, Minerva noticed the group in the corner and the doors in front of them swung open. The two combatants charged in opposite directions, Minerva toward the familiar eyes glowing from the obscurity of the hallway and Albus toward the villain inside the doors. Both collided abruptly with the barrier that had now boxed them in. Minerva fell weakly to the ground. Albus maintained his footing and turned to assist Minerva.

"Albus, you fool!" Grindelwald bellowed. "You could never stop me from destroying the things that were precious to you."

As he stepped out of the doorway, he revealed the bloodied body of the Horatio McGonagall, diminished to lifelessness. Minerva screamed and desperately scrambled for the body of her love.

"And not just loved ones, but your precious, pathetic ideals, I have taken an entire continent and destroyed its moral structure to the point that they will do whatever atrocities I command. What does that do to your belief in the innate goodness of man?"

"I know you, Gellert, you didn't want it this way, your puppet, Hitler, go out of hand. You lost control and you know it." Albus comforted Minerva as he mentally pleaded with Grindelwald to come to his reason. "You do not enjoy killing innocents."

"You see, I knew that would be your plea, and I have evidence waiting in the wings." Grindelwald gestured to his servant in the shadows. "I have a friend of Minerva's to assist me in a demonstration."

Mirelle was tugged from the darkness and was forced into the arms of Grindelwald. She stood facing Minerva, eyes wide, her whole body shaking, as Gellert calmly stroked her hair.

"I really owe you a debt, Minerva, my dear, " He crooned. Albus tightened his hold on Minerva, who had begun to get weak in the knees. "Without you, poor Albus would still have something to believe in. But you brought this bloodtraitor scum back to my care."

"Please!" Minerva cried, shocked back into herself and pushing Albus away, "If you must kill someone, let it be me!"

"Ha! Self-sacrifice! Another of Albus' pet virtues!" Grindelwald sneered, "Don't worry, I will kill you, but the child, this innocent little girl, dies first!"

"No! Albus exploded and the charm holding the couple captive crackled out of existence. It could no longer hold Albus' power.

But Gellert was prepared, he whipped his wand from his pocket. Tossing Mirelle in front of him, he spat, "_Avada__Kedavra__"_

It only took a moment, in which Albus' fury mounted beyond the spheres, and Minerva rallied the end of her strength. The death of the girl had had the complete antithesis of the affect Grindelwald sought. The Dark Lord's complexion paled and his breath caught in his chest as his fear met him at the blink of an eye.

The moment over, Minerva charged at the Knight in the corner and as spell after spell left her wand, it was evident her opponent would soon be eliminated. A blaze of curses and spells were flying from the other combatants. Dumbledore and Grindelwald battled for the morality of the age. Minerva's opponent crumbled , she charged to aid Dumbledore and avenge her husband. Just as she turned to him, the Evil wizard fired a strange curse in her direction. Minerva's adrenalin failed and she collapsed with a pained shriek.

Albus made a desperate attempt to use Minerva's distraction as an advantage. But his curse was rebounded by a flick of Gellert's wand and Albus reeled from the effects.

"You stumble, old friend!" Gellert sneered, "You grow slow and weak in your old age! Your virtues , love, hah!, love, compromises even your exceptional skill! Don't waste your love on that!" He swung his wand to Minerva, "if you had only joined me, Albus!" Grindelwald's eyes became sorrowful as he turned back to the wizard panting against the wall.

"That is behind me now, Gellert," Albus struggled to stand, but his voice did not waiver, "After I saw the truth about you. I could never love you as I once did."

"So you have fallen for her?" Grindelwald spat at Minerva's convulsing body," Oh well, this can serve as a reminder of what you could have achieved, the power and good we could have garnered with me!"

Albus stood up, suddenly energized by a wary feeling, " What do you mean?" He protectively stumbled in front of Minerva.

"The spell that hit her is a completely new spell," Grindelwald glowed with sick pride as he moved closer to the struggling couple, "there is no counter-curse yet. The most brilliant scientists of the era developed it in my laboratories. And this is just one of their accomplishments!"

"What will happen to her?" He asked, desperate to drive Grindelwald's attention from combat until he could regain his strength. He knew Minerva's plight was desperate, but he couldn't help her if he was killed."

"It's brilliant! The perfect way to prolong the enjoyment of the formerly instantaneous Killing Curse," Grindelwald's eye gleamed red, "No longer will people die in a second. We can savor every excruciating minute, of their death. Minerva's soul is slowly being peeled from her body."

"No!" Albus had allowed himself to get caught up in the emotion of the moment, he had to retaliate soon. Minerva couldn't survive much longer.

"Slowly, her organs are shutting down and her body is closing off. In less than an hour, there won't be enough of her around to even recognize you voice! Do you see how foolish you were to set our affections on something so weak!"

Albus had had enough. His strength was enough and his magical energy was snapping at his fingers. He raised his wand and lunged in one breath.

Minutes later, Alyssia charged into the same room. There were six bodies on the floor. Only one was moving. Alyssia sent her patronus down to the team of healers that were on their way up through the building. Then she dropped to her knees by Albus' side. He was on his stomach and was trying desperately to crawl over to Minerva's side. He was too weak to move from his place and was merely struggling in vain. As soon as he caught sight Alyssia, he reached towards her and tried to say something, Alyssia was forced to lean her ear towards his parted mouth to glean any words. Meanwhile a team of healers poured into the room and began assessing the damage.

"Minerva!" Albus croaked urgently. The healers had him on a magically levitated stretcher, "Grindelwald used…a new… killing curse," He coughed, "still alive! Soul… peeled… from" he couldn't speak anymore as his body quaked with the effort of simply breathing.

Alyssia pulled the closest healer to Minerva's side. A few halted repetitions of Albus' warning and the mediwizard began to check for any lifesigns.

"Well?" Alyssia demanded, practically pulling the man over with the force of her urgent insistent tug.

"There is a very faint pulse. We have to apparate immediately.""Is she strong enough…" Alyssia looked at the bleeding, nearly comatose woman on the floor and suddenly became very worried.

"There's no time." The Healer clipped, "If I don't try something now, she won't make it anyway. With the proper equipment and expertise…" He had scooped up the ragged body and was gone.

Alyssia was left in the room which held only the corpses of the Knight, Horatio McGonagall, and a young girl. She was surrounded by death. Feeling hopelessly bereaved Alyssia sobbed, "God! Help us!" and she wrapped the young girl's body in her arms.


	5. Awakening

Disclaimer: I would never claim to be JKR after her October 19th publicity stunt.

A/N: So this story has been flying from my pen faster than my keys can keep up with, but we're trying. I've got stacks of notebook paper next to my laptop waiting to be translated into electronic memory. Very excited about this story again, hopefully we can keep her going.

As soon as Albus woke up, he saw Alyssia and her husband, "Xerxes! Alyssia!" He tried to sit up out of the pillows, gave up, and confided his head to them again, "Where is Minerva?" He looked stricken as his memory caught up with him.

Alyssia and Xerxes both fidgeted and switched to the next pressing topic.

"Grindelwalrd has been dealt with and Europe has been liberated, thanks to you Albus, " Xerxes affirmed, "You are an international hero!" He attempted a reassuring smile.

"Thank you, Xerxes, " Albus nodded his gratitude, and persisted, "But I must know. Alyssia, tell me, where is Minerva?"

At his insistence Alyssia burst into tears and retreated to a corner chair. Xerxes step forward and continued in a solemn tone, "She hasn't woken up yet Albus. And they don't know if she will."

"She's dead?" Albus croaked, his need to get up suddenly expanding exponentially. Xerxes pushed him back down and went back to comforting his wife.

"No, not dead," Xerxes seemed uncertain as to how to proceed, " But she's suffered a great deal, and there's not enough strength in her body to pull her decisively back into the land of the living."

A healer came into the room and began taking readings and checking his pulse and smiled, "You're doing quite well, Dumbledore, which is good. I don't think I could keep the press and ministry away much longer!"

And then the flood walls gave way. Albus was drowned in a sea of interviews and award ceremonies and banquets for an entire week. His first words every day and his last words each night were, "How is Minerva? Can I see her?" Only to be swept off to the next social appointment.

Finally Albus put on the brakes and demanded an answer, "I am an international hero, right?" He demanded to the young wizard who seemed to be his shadow and carried the holy schedule.

"Of course you are, Mr. Dumbledore, sir," the man squeaked, slightly frightened by the flame in Dumbledore's eyes.

"Well, then as an international hero, " Albus continued standing up to his greatest height, "I would like to visit a dear friend at St. Mungo's, another hero of the war."

"Yes, sir," the man nodded.

"Let's go then!" Albus smiled fully for the first time in months.

When they got to the hospital, it took nearly an hour and several repetitions of the phrase, "Albus Dumbeldore, international war hero," before they were finally being escorted down a dismal, silent hall. The dim lights and suffocating lack of sound made it seem as if death was lurking enthroned behind one of the doors they were passing. The war hero, Albus Dumbledore, defeat of Grindelwald, shivered in fear.

The nurse stopped in front of an anonymous door and clicked it open, disrupting the reign of silence. Albus stepped in and walked into the quiet glowing of the room. The nurse bustled past him and zipped about the bed, obscuring Dumbledore's view of the bed. He shifted his gaze to the room's other occupant, Alyssia Gravamont. She sat next to Minerva's bed, knitting. She cast a very matronly portrait sitting stoically marking time next to the bed's occupant. Albus knew that Alyssia, for some reason or other, could not have children. But she had always been a very firm, quietly nurturing professor.

The nurse clicked the door shut again and Albus got his first clear view of Minerva. Her face was only mildly bruised, with a cut traveling the bridge of her nose. But her shoulder had a large bandage that implied a deep wound. He entire torso was held in a stiff body cast. There were several potions being magically pumped into her. Albus was shocked at the deathly pallor of her skin.

"I… why didn't I… How did…I never noticed how badly injured she was." Albus sat down n shock next to Alyssia.

"Why didn't you come sooner?" Alyssia asked quietly looking at him with fear-tainted eyes.

"I lost track of the time, but you, how long have you been here?" Albus looked admiringly at his colleague.

"I have come every day. She's like a daughter to me, Albus. Her mother and I were best friends since school days," Alyssia smiled as she laid down her knitting and brushed a shock of hair out of Minerva's eyes, "When Albrecht and Juno were murdered in Minerva's 4th year, their Will stated I was to become her legal guardian."

"How is she doing?" Albus eyes were struggling with the tears that filled them.

Alyssia suddenly stiffened and sat mechanically back in her place, "She can't hang where she is much longer. Her body doesn't have much stamina left. She has, at best, two days left. If he doesn't pull out before then, there is no hope." She looked out toward the shaded windows.

At her words, Albus began crying in earnest. Alyssia returned to herself abruptly and put her arm around Albus.

"How could I fail her like this? Horatio told me I was to protect her! And now she's on the precipice of death!" He sat up and reached out for Minerva's hand, "Grindelwald really has destroyed everything I am. Horatio is dead and millions of people were corrupted, if Minerva dies, Grindelwald has won."

"Albus! Don't talk like that!" Alyssia pulled his face up from the floor, "I know you may feel like that now, but the world is watching you! You must be strong for them." Albus had moped back to the floor. Alyssia abruptly slapped him, "It may sting now, but it will heal eventually."

This seemed to help and Albus looked up gratefully at his old friend, "Yes, I suppose I brought this on myself. But what can I do to help Minerva?" He looked so helpless and boyish Alyssia's heart melted.

"Stay with us. She will need you more than ever tomorrow." Alyssia placed her hand over Albus and Minerva's joined hands. "Just be here with her."

The next night, it seemed as if a battle was about to take place in Minerva's hospital room, as indeed there was. Somber faces paced uneasily in and out of the room. Alyssia's knitting flew from her fingers. Xerxes had read the same page in his book the entire night. Poppy intermittently paced up to the bedstand and flipped through the file the physicians left for her. Xiomara was nervously tossing around a snitch-sized ball. Moody was constantly swigging from his flask. Albus' pacing was so distracting that when a reported showed up for an interview, everyone shoved him out of the room, telling him to "oblige the poor man" and get off their nerves.

Albus hurried through the questions and raced back to the room. As he came back, a lot of commotion seemed to be pouring out Minerva's room. Albus ran toward the room. Alyssia was sobbing into Xerxes' shoulder, and his eyes were watery as well. A healer was approaching down the hall.

"NO!" Albus screamed and dashed into the room, leaving a stunned crowd outside. He dashed to the bed and reached for the delicate hand that he had loved for these past years. Expecting a cold clammy feeling, he was surprised to discover that it was warm and her cheeks were rosy. Minerva's lids cracked, with much effort, and her mouth formed a raspy word.

"Albus?" She whispered.

The group outside the room became alarmed at the volume of noise that exploded down the hall as the Headmaster of Hogwart's School of Witchcraft and Wizardry laughed like a lunatic from the depths of his soul. Moody dashed into the room.

"Dumbledore! What do you mean by that outburst? Yes, Minerva may be back from the dead, but this is still a hospital!" He glared sternly at both of them and left the room.

When Albus turned back to Minerva, she was smiling weakly. He laughed softly as tears of joy began to trickle down his crooked nose.

"Do you know how glad I am that you're back?"He whispered, his voice on the verge of cracking. He reached out and took her hand again, "I missed you." He kissed the back of her hand, and then they simply paused, both holding the joy of being alive again.

Alyssia crept into the room and kissed Minerva softly on the forehead. She turned to Albus and took his other hand, "Albus we need to let the healers do their work. Minerva needs her rest." She reminded him gently.

"But she needs me!" Albus protested, and Alyssia pulled him toward the door and he gleaned one more picture of his Minerva awake again, "I need her" he added sotto voce.

Albus spent the next two weeks in St Mungo's, hours of every day spent next to Minerva's bed. She was moved to a more cheerful ward, where there was more movement and life. Albus read to her, he played chess with her, and was there for her when she faced the reality of her husband's death.

Albus had stayed late that night without even noticing the time. Minerva had fallen asleep. He and Alyssia, who had been there on and off as well, were talking a bit.

"When did you learn to knit, Alyssia?" Albus asked, as the wooden needles clicked in a soothing rhythm. "I always see you knitting during tense situations, or when you have a long wait, such as when you administer an examination, but why are you always knitting? And who do you knit for? You don't have any children, do you?"

"I learned to knit when I was a little girl. My Irish Gran had sheep, and I would visit her, and watch her card and spin the wool into yarn. She told me that it was the flow of life in the world. All things leaning together to help each other survive. We protect the sheep from wolves, and the sheep protect us from the cold. I love to knit, simply because I feel I am creating something that will protect those I love from the cold, dark winds of cruelty." Alyssia smiled very sadly, "And, no, I have no children. A dark German wizard saw to that during the first great war. I knit things to be given away to people who need them. I do make things to protect those I love. Right now, I am making a jumper for Minerva. When she gets back to being an Auror, well… it can get pretty dangerous out there, and it helps me to know that a part of me is there protecting her."

"That's why Xerxes wears that pullover whenever we go out on patrols!" Albus smiled in a far off, remembering sort of way.

"Yes, well. It's silly and controlling of me, but I want to pretend as if I'm doing something. I'm not a very skilled fighter when it comes to dueling, but my heart is strong." She smiled, packing up her knitting. "You know, Minerva is going to want to know the details of the plan that she executed. What are you going to tell her?"

"What, am I supposed to tell her, 'Minerva, your husband loved you, but he went on a suicide mission for the greater good, and didn't tell you.'? She'd love that. She might even have a relapse and then I would lose her for good." Albus grimaced at the thought of what he would have to do when Minerva asked the question. "But, I respect her enough that, now Horatio's gone, I must tell her the truth."

"Well, I must be getting home, Albus. Xerxes promised he would stop by and pick me up on the way home from his faculty meeting at the university." Alyssia stood, and Albus rose as well, both exchanged a brief, companionable hug, and then Alyssia slipped through the door.

Albus sat back down and watched Minerva. Noticing that he was feeling a bit drowsy, he decided to walk down the hall to purchase a cup of hot cocoa. The warm liquid warmed his fingers through the mug, and he smiled as he thought of how a little warmth could be so reassuring, the warmth of a smile, the warmth of love, the warmth of a friend's hand. He stopped outside the door. Something was wrong, Minerva was yelling. He burst into the room and discarded the cup.

"NO!! I will not let you! Must go with you!!" she was whipping back and forth in the stark, unyielding bed, and sobbing. Albus quickly grabbed her shoulders and shook her gently.

"Minerva! Come back, darling. It was just a dream!!" Nothing changed, she fought against Albus' arms, "Minerva, I'm here with you! Wake up!" Finally Minerva's eyes snapped open. She looked wild, with her long black hair wildly frazzled, and her eyes wide in shock. It took a moment for her to stop fighting. But then, she saw where she was, and who was holding her, and who was not there, and she collapsed against Albus' arm in sobs.

Albus became even more alarmed, and wrapped her in his arms, "Shhhh, It's all right, Minerva. You're safe now, Grindelwald can't hurt you here." He rocked her back and forth gently.

"Why, Albus? Why did you ask us to go on that mission? We were happy and complete before you burst in and ruined everything!" Minerva yelled, and she rallied her anger to pound against the arm that was holding her. Albus didn't mind, it would only make what he had to say next a little easier.

"Minerva, I have to tell you something. And as it isn't exactly a very easy thing to say, I might as well get it over with." Minerva sat back against the pillows and dried her eyes on a tartan handkerchief, her breathing still hiccupy.

"Minerva, it wasn't my plan. It was Horatio's. He was a brilliant strategist, Minerva. Far beyond my caliber. He devised the plan, and insisted that he play the part he did." Albus sighed, gathered his courage and continued, "He realized that whoever took the role he did would end up dying in the battle. He knew he was going to die. He insisted I pass it off as my idea, because then you would be willing to participate. He wanted to save the world more than anything, but it tore him apart to leave you."

It took a moment for Minerva to process all this. She simply sat back, her lips slightly parted, in shock. "You were lying to me! Both of you!!" Minerva's temper was getting worked up. Albus began to get worried.

"Now, Minerva, don't get too worked up. Remember your health…" He stepped toward the bed.

"Don't give me that!!! He knew he was going to die, and he married me anyway!! And then you lied to help him commit suicide!!" She shrieked, her complexion boiling to a feverish red, "Did you think I was too stupid to be included in the full plan? NO! Instead, you became an accessory to my husband's murder!! That's what it was Albus!! Could he have trusted me?!?" Minerva was hysterical.

"He was just trying to…" Albus reached toward her trying to calm her.

" Don't you dare touch me, you murdering scum!! How dare you lie to me like that!!" Minerva punched him square on the chin, and he could have swore he heard a bone in her hand snap. "I don't want anything to do with you, Albus Dumbledore!! You helped my husband kill himself!!"

Healers had heard the commotion and rushed into the room. Albus was escorted from the room. Minerva was still screaming curses after him as he left. He tried to get back into the room, but the healers sent him away.

"Mr. Dumbledore, she isn't strong enough to suffer that sort of emotional strain. We're going to have to ask you to leave." A rather burly healer demanded.

Albus slipped out of the hospital and into the cold, unfeeling night.


	6. Eruption

Disclaimer: JKR is sane; therefore, I am not her.

A/N: Well, depending on how this goes, there might be one more chapter. This was way too stretched out. I'll have to start looking to adopt another plot bunny… THANK YOU TO MY LOVELY REVIEWERS

Alyssia arrived early the next morning. She was smiling the smile that only a warm, complete July day can bring. As she approached the room, she noticed Healers moving rapidly in and out of Minerva's doorway. This caused the professor to quicken her pace, so that she was practically sprinting by the time she reached the door. Alyssia stopped by the bed, her knitting bag dropping unnoticed to the floor. Minerva looked much worse this morning than she had last night. Her eyes were swollen, and her complexion had returned to its sickly tint. Her body seemed limp against the bed. Alyssia reached out to touch her cheek, and was shocked by the frigid temperature of her skin. A Healer marched into the room at that moment.

"Professor Gravamont! I'm glad you've arrived," The Healer did not appear glad about anything, only very solemn. "There was an incident last night."

"An incident? What happened? Is she going to be all right?" Alyssia turned her attention back to her daughter and grasped her limp hand.

"She and Professor Dumbledore had a conversation that seemed to upset her quite a bit last night," The Healer grimaced and continued, "Mrs. McGonagall was so upset, we had to sedate her before she would settle down. Of course, this has affected her health."

"Does Albus know?" The matron inquired, sitting down in her chair.

"She refuses to have anything to do with Professor Dumbledore, Ma'm," The Healer answered, looking somewhat apologetic and worried, "She gets upset at the mention of his name, and refused to let us contact him, and certainly wouldn't let him in the room."

"I see," Alyssia quickly put together the pieces, and reached her conclusion, "And how is her health?"

"Well, she doesn't seem to be in danger, but that was at least a week's setback. She is much weaker now. " the Healer glanced at the woman in the bed, "Her fever has escalated, but she is still hanging on."

Alyssia sat by her side all day, holding her hand, praying to every deity she know that Minerva's life would not end like this. As the sun began to tuck the evening around the world, Minerva began to stir, and Alyssia set aside her knitting. She leaned in close to talk to Minerva.

"Minerva? Can you hear me?" She tried gently.

"Alyssia? What …oh." And Minerva's memory caught up with her and sobs began to quake her body. Alyssia slipped her arms around Minerva and scooted up onto the bed to rock her back and forth.

They had a long conversation about what had passed between Albus and Minerva. Minerva was heart broken and didn't know how to put her life together. "Where do I go now? He's gone and her's never coming back!" Minerva wailed as her tears slacked off, "I'm all alone! What am I to do?"

Alyssia wiped the tears from her own eyes and pulled a handkerchief out of her bag. "He did love you! He loved you so much, it tore him apart!" Alyssia pleaded with her daughter despite the personal anger she held against Horatio.

"Yet he still left me!" Minerva sobbed.

"But you have a lot to live for!" Alyssia insisted, pulling Minerva closer, as she stroked Minerva's raven hair. "You're young. You have many more chances for happiness ahead of you! You have a promising career as a strong Auror. Don't throw that away! It may hurt, and it may be hard, but you can keep going, darling!"

"Yes, I suppose I still have my job!" Minerva sighed bleakly.

"And you have friends that care about you!" Alyssia smiled, pulling back to face her, "There's Poppy, and Xio, and Pomona, Alastair, and of course Xerxes and I, and all your friends at the ministry," Alyssia took a quick breath, "And Albus. Albus cared about you. He loves you."

"No!" Mineva sat up and pushed Alyssia away. "No! I don't want to see him! All those things I said last night, I meant them!! I don't want anything to do with him!! I'm done with the resistance. I don't want to see him for a very long time."

Alyssia leaned back for a sigh, sat up to say something, and instead pulled Minerva into her arms, "I still love you, Minerva, no matter what." She whispered, her eyes squeezed shut in frustration. She stayed with Minerva until she fell asleep again, half an hour later.

When the knock reverberated through the door to his Hogwart's chambers, he was ready for it. Xerxes had arrived shortly after seven that evening and Alyssia would not be far behind. Somehow, the couple always knew how to find each other.

As the door swung open, Alyssia marched in, after muttering, "Evening, Albus" and moved to share the chintz love seat all ready occupied by her husband. Albus joined them, sitting in an armchair opposite. They simply stared at the fire for a very long time, in silence, each contemplating the way the world had turned since that terrible night when they had all fought against Grindelwald.

"Why did you do this, Albus? Why did you lie?" Alyssia asked, in her usual, barely audible way.

"It was my idea to tell her that way." Albus sighed, letting out guilt with every breath, "Horatio wanted to tell her the full plan, and wanted me to convince her I supported it. Of course, I didn't. I refused to let him sacrifice his future and Minerva's happiness in a role, which other people might be able to fulfill. Horatio insisted that he be in charge of the project. But then I formulated the idea of lying to Minerva. I couldn't believe how insensitive Horatio was to his own fiancée's feelings, and I was trying to compensate, in my own stupid way, for his head strong youthfulness."

"So you deceived his wife, and told her that her husband would come back from this fight. Then, she built up the hope that she would have a future with him," Xerxes glared, getting up to pace around the room, stopping to randomly examine the trinkets around the room. When he said it in his deep, sober voice, it made Albus' explanation seem childish, "Who was more cruel, Albus?"

"ALL RIGHT!" Albus yelled, standing up suddenly. His eyes flashed, and Alyssia slid to the far side of the love seat. Xerxes whipped around, instantly alert. His wand was in his hand, but the old habits of war died away as his responses cooled to listen to his friend's confession. "I loved her. After she came back from her Auror training, and began visiting Horatio more, I began to see how charming, how captivating she really was. And when she worked in the resistance, I was stunned by her young brilliance, and the wisdom and maturity she showed at such a young age. And then, Horatio claimed her as his own. That night, I was furious that I had ever encouraged their relationship, forcing Horatio to drill her in her Animagus lessons. But I convinced myself that they were really in love, and Minerva would be happy."

"Oh, Albus!" Alyssia gasped, her hand flying up to her forehead, "You loved her? You were in love with her all along!! I … But the wedding… you…"

"I know, it's stupid, even dangerous for someone like me to develop emotions. " Albus laughed.

"But why did you think lying to her would make her happy?" Xerxes challenged, returning to his perusal of the room.

"When Horatio came to me with his plan, a mere month after their engagement, I was elated. The world would be safe for a time. But I was also furious," Albus moved toward the mantle, and rested his hand on it, as his eyes followed the flames, "How could this man love my Minerva, if he was willing to leave her so soon? To convince myself that he didn't mean what he had said, I created the lie. I was convinced that if Minerva thought he was going to be there for her after the war, she would be happier."

Alyssia stood up, and walked to the other side of the fireplace and challenged Albus to a silent staring match. He finally looked up, "She won't speak to you now, Albus. She won't even see you." Alyssia declared, "Your plan failed. What are you going to do?"

"I suppose, I'll respect Minerva's wishes," Albus turned back to his chair, "I'll pretend she never existed."

The rest of the evening was brief. Alyssia and Xerxes left inside the next quarter hour, and Albus slipped off to his bed.

A/N Well, here you go people, I suppose this will do for one more chapter. Thank you for your continued support. And don't worry, two more chapters should finish this one off. Please review.


	7. Retreat

Disclaimer: Last time I checked, I wasn't richer than her majesty, the Queen, so I must not be JKR.

A/N: Only one more after this, I am sort of excited to see what happens after that. I have one more semester of hideously boring classes to fill with fan fiction. Then I actually get to pursue my major, which doesn't involve sitting at desks.

Minerva excelled.

She excelled in her rehabilitation after her terrible injuries, and returned to nearly full health in a month. Unfortunately, the healers discovered that her heart was weakened to such an extent that it would never be "good as new" again. But this did not stop her.

A month later, she was back to working full time as an Auror. She excelled in all her assignments.

She excelled in her skill, her defensive abilities, and in her innovation as she developed several new defensive counter charms.

The only place she did NOT excel was her social life. She was exceptionally popular after word circulated of her part in the defeat of Grindelwald. She was given a hero's agenda, invitations to parties, places of honor at important banquets, and introductions to all the most eligible bachelor wizards of the age. Minerva turned them all away, politely, but still, she retreated.

Her seclusion was capped by her request four months later to be transferred to a different type of duty.

"Let me get this straight, McGonagall," Thespis Tempora, head of the Auror department leered over his desk as he read Minerva's form again, as she sat coolly, "You want to be transferred to the diplomatic protection unit? But no wants that position! Not only are Diplomats walking target practice for dissidents, but you are away from home the majority of the year."

"Yes, sir. I realize that." Minerva responded, with a formality that bordered on frigid, "But I am tired of war, and this seems to be the best solution we have to preventing it." She sighed, "Besides, given my current situation, I believe I am the perfect candidate for this type of duty."

"I see," The typically jovial man was somewhat troubled by Minerva's changed demeanor, "Well, there are plenty of openings in that branch. I'll consider it, McGonagall."

"Thank you, sir," She intoned and moved noiselessly from the room

"Why?" Alyssia begged that evening at Minerva's flat. "How could you leave without even mentioning something about this first? What possessed you, dear?" Alyssia stood from the table they had been sharing the last meal of winter holidays over, and walked over to the window, clearly upset.

"Minerva, we understand you've had a hard time getting back into a regular routine, but is this the answer?" Xerxes reached out his hand to cover the younger white one that was now clenching her spoon in frustration.

"I cannot stay here anymore!" Minerva shouted, "I'm only twenty-one and all ready I feel as if the walls of my own ministry cubicle are closing in on me! I need to see the rest of the world and learn from their views of life!" Minerva turned to the back at the window, "Don't you see? Things will be better this way!"Xerxes cleared his tactfully stood up from the table and levitated the dirty dishes off, giving Alyssia some time to recover from her initial hurt and shock. Minerva started to stand up and offer her assistance, but one glare from Xerxes told her she should stay. Minerva hated having to work out emotional situations in this open manner. She preferred to let things sit and work themselves out. But Alyssia had been like a mother to her, and Minerva owed her the consideration of an explanation.

"Running away isn't going to help, you know." Alyssia reprimanded, her back still to the target of her speech.

"I'm not…" Minerva protested, but then she fell silent. Of course, the woman was right. Alyssia divined her thoughts and feelings before Minerva had even glimpsed them.

"You can't deny it, can you?" Alyssia smiled, walking over to the fire place. As she drifted into one of the chairs being warmed by the dancing flames, she continued, "But running will get you no where. During the first great war, before you were born, well… you know that Xerxes was kidnapped." She absentmindedly gathered her legs under her, curling into the chair. Indeed, she looked very small, tucked into the chair like that.

"I know! I know how you and Dumbledore fought Mephistopheles the Murderous, to rescue him from terrible tortures. I know that you persisted. You stayed by his side during his entire month-long stay in the hospital." Minerva flopped in exasperation into the seat across from Alyssia.

"Yes, you've heard all that," Alyssia smiled at her, "But what you've never heard is… How do I put this?" Alyssia leaned back into the chair and glanced toward the kitchen, where the irregular clanking of dishes signified the presence of her husband, "I didn't want to back for him." She bit her lip and scrunched her nose the way she always did when she wanted to keep herself from crying.

"What?" Minerva was flabbergasted.

"Shocking, I know," Alyssia chocked out, attempting to continue, "But I had all ready lost so many friends to that sick butcher. I had fought to rescue them, only to find mangled corpses. I could not bear to have that happen to Xerxes. I was going to give up, tell Albus of my resignation from the covert army, and turn my back on the old world forever. I was going to move to America!"

"America? But surely, Alyssia!" Minerva could not begin to grasp the tale being told her.

"I was tired. 'No more!' I thought. I'll move to America where I'll never have to hear another bomb for a hundred years!" Alyssia looked down at her hands in embarrassment, "It wasn't until Albus Dumbledore came and yelled some sense into me that I realized I had no other choice."

"But my husband is dead!!" Minerva shouted, furious that Alyssia would dare measure her sad tale against a saga that had a happy ending, "I was there! I saw him die!! I saw the curse separate his body and soul!"

"Minerva!! Stop!! I'm not saying it's the same thing!" Alyssia stood up. It had been a long time since she had raised her voice. "I'm only trying to say that perhaps you should see what pieces of your life a there waiting to be picked up." She moved to the fire again.

"That's why I'm taking this opportunity!" Minerva protested. She joined Alyssia at the mantel piece. "I still have my job, and my friends at the ministry. Why not use my job as a way to prevent situations like this from happening in the future? If these diplomats can truly improve the quality of life for people, then maybe they won't be as open to the filthy words of dictators. Maybe these diplomats can stop the next war before millions of people are lost."

"If you see this as the answer, then I shall support your decision." Alyssia took her hand and gazed loving at her. Her next words broke Minerva's heart, "But what if I need you? What happens when I miss you and need to talk to you? These missions are notorious for being covert and long!"

"Wait! I've thought of that all ready!" Minerva flashed an excited smile as she dashed off into the bedroom down the hall. Alyssia beamed after her, as she sank back to her seat. Minerva returned carrying a jewelry case.

Xerxes came back over to the couple seated before the fire. He watched as Minerva removed a locket gently from the box and handed the case to Alyssia. "This has been in Horatio's family for generations. It's a secret messenger. His family has a history of espionage and military service. His great-great grandmother designed it when her husband of two months was sent on a long, clandestine mission. They wrote love letters to each other this way. You simply slip the note into the box, and say, _Scriptus__ Veni_ and the person holding the other piece of the set will receive the message. You can reach me no matter how far away I am."

Xerxes smiled as his wife looked at the locket, burst into tears, and was engulfed in Minerva's hug. He stepped behind the embrace, and placed a loving hand on each of his girl's shoulders.

"I'm just so afraid of losing you again, darling!" Alyssia sobbed, "The last time I let you out of my sight, I found you three months later in a bloodied heap. You barely survived!"

"She'll be all right, Alyssia," Xerxes reassured in his deep bass tones, "She's a brilliant young woman now."

"Brilliant young woman or not, she's still my little girl!" Alyssia smiled into Minerva's eyes, "Speaking of which," She picked up her usual demeanor instantly, "I need to make sure you've enough food for the week, and that Xerxes got the dished properly put away."

"Only the ones I didn't break," He smiled after his wife. He turned to Minerva, "Do you really think this is the answer? I heard what you said to Alyssia. "

"Yes, I know, it may be naïve of me, but it's the best solution I've found." Minerva stood to look in the fire again.

"I just want you to be happy," Xerxes replied, rapping a protective arm around her as he followed her gaze, "I don't want you to be disappointed by a group of blind, long-winded people."

"I'm familiar with disappointment in many forms," Minerva smiled, as she leaned into his fatherly embrace, "But I never let it stop me."

Minerva worked on diplomatic missions for the next nine years. She rarely slept on her own pillow, or even set foot on British soil. But she learned a great deal traveling the world and learning of its people. She was disappointed many times, but after all, even ambassadors are only human. She quickly learned how to diffuse tension and interpret subtle signals. She prevented over forty assassination attempts in her tour of duty, and served on over a hundred diplomatic missions. The woman became a legend among the ambassadors of the wizarding world.

It was with little surprise, then that Minerva was specially requested by a particularly important national figure to be his personal guard at a prestigious international conference. However, Minerva was shocked, and somewhat upset when she received her briefing on this special mission.

"It's a conference of the Wizarding World's Educators, all the heads of Wizarding schools worldwide are going to attend to discuss current curricula, and whatever else they see fit to discuss. It's simply your job to protect our representative. Durmstrang will be attending, as well as several shady South American school heads, and I want you to keep a focus on them. They are all noted for their focus on the dark arts. Just make sure they don't practice them during the symposium." Moody, current head of the Aurour department barked.

"Who is my charge this time?" Minerva asked wryly, she had hoped to slip in a holiday at the exact time of this conference, but it looked like she would be spending it in the Rocky Mountains of America babysitting a school teacher.

"Albus Dumbledore, of course!! The Headmaster of Hogwarts!!" Moody snorted, "Then again, don't suppose you're on British soil long enough to keep up with the latest news. Armando Dippet passed away, and Dumbledore has taken his place. Having a terrible time finding new staff too. Can't seem to keep that Defense Against the Dark Arts position filled. And now that Dumbledore's got duties as the Headmaster. ..Well, he'll be looking for teachers, as well as curriculum innovations at this conference. What's the matter McGonagall! You look like you've seen a ghost!"

"No, sir. No ghost. But, sir, I was wondering…" She stopped, feeling suddenly very foolish.

"Well! Spit it out McGonagall!" Moody glared, it wasn't like Minerva to hesitate. This couldn't be good.

"Sir, could someone else take this mission? I was really hoping to take a holiday in a month or so…" Minerva trailed off, hoping she wouldn't have to share the real reason behind her apprehension.

"Not a chance! All the other Aurors turned their request for vacation weeks ago. Or didn't it occur to you that that was the week before Christmas?" Moody shook his head, "Nope, you're stuck, McGonagall. It can't be that bad!! You've worked with Dumbledore in the past!! He's a decent man!"

"Right, of course,sir," Minerva chocked on her words as she stormed out of the office.

"Alyssia!!" Minerva shrieked later in her mother's parlor. "Why didn't you tell me that Dumbledore is the Headmaster of Hogwarts?"

"I'm sorry, dear! Everything was so busy, what with Armando passing away so suddenly, and the scramble to find teachers… I suppose it just slipped my mind, because it seemed so obvious!!"

"Yes, well, when you're in your home country two months out of the year, the obvious tends to miss you all together!" Minerva huffed. This was going to be a very awkward situation.

"Maybe it's time for you to move on, Minerva," Alyssia sighed, rising from the sofa she had been occupying to place an encouraging hand on her daughter's angrily folded arms. "it's been ten years since you even spoke to the man. Give him a chance!! Albus Dumbledore is a remarkable man, at least attempt to get to know him again."

"Remarkable or not, he's my charge at this Headmaster's convention, so he's going to be staying out of trouble." Minerva grinned, "Headmaster of Hogwarts!! What were they thinking?"

A/N: Finals are almost done, my esteemed reader, and then I c an start up another fic!! This one has approximately one chapter left. (maybe with an epilogue, those are always nice)


	8. Conference and Proposition

Disclaimer: I don't own much of anything, let alone this brilliant idea.

Minerva arrived at the Ministry's Magical Transportation Department fifteen minutes before their scheduled port-key time. Her trunks were packed, and she even brought along what Moody had convinced her was necessary attire. Minerva found the amount of security they were implementing at this conference somewhat pompous. Almost as pompous as the idea of Minerva McGonagall serving as a "body guard" to Albus Dumbledore. But these Headmasters kept a tight shield around the place that prevented apparating, and the location was an unplottable piece of land in the wilderness of the Rocky Mountains.

Part of Minerva had hoped that Albus would be early too, and maybe she would get a chance to talk to him before they departed. Over ten years since the last time she saw him. Well, that wasn't quite true. She had, of course, seen him from a distance at several important diplomatic functions. But she had ignored him, and he was gracious enough to comply with her wish for privacy.

_But things__ can never be the way they __were,_ her calculating, practical mind whispered to her, _ you saw to that! _ In spite of it all, she could not deny that she had missed talking to him. Over her years of service defending and meeting diplomats, she had encountered many extraordinary people; but they only served to remind her how much she missed the unique brilliance of Albus Dumbledore.

_Alyssia's__ right,_ she pondered, sitting down on her trunk and pulling off her too-warm hat, revealing her tightly-bunned hair. _Perhaps it is time to move on in this part of my__ life. _ She smiled as she thought of the concern in Alyssia's eyes whenever Minerva mentioned her social life. Alyssia constantly encouraged her to find a wizard to come home to, but Minerva was not comfortable with the idea yet.

Albus chose that exact moment to arrive. He stepped through the doors at the port-key station, and halted so abruptly, the witch behind him nearly dropped her luggage. _She's even more beautiful than I remembered_. He thought as he moved down the station that was bustling with holiday travelers. He approached the designated space for their port-key and set his luggage down. Minerva instantly stood up, jolted from her reverie.

"Hello Mrs. McGonagall. It's nice to see you again." Albus smiled, somewhat awkwardly as he wondered whether to hug this former friend, or simply shake hands with his body-guard.

"Please, Headmaster, McGonagall will do just fine, I'm no longer married." Minerva solved his predicament by extending a formal hand toward him.

"Well, then, you must drop this Headmaster business and call me Dumbledore." Albus smiled good- naturedly. It was time for their port-key, so they stepped toward the text book and each grasped a side of it. _I see how it's going to be, _Albus thought, as the weird, whirlpool-like sensation gripped his stomach. _We're going to pretend we never knew each other. _His eyes slipped over toward his traveling companion before they were whisked away, _It's__ not going to work Minerva._

They settled into their suite, and Albus immediately whisked Minerva off for a late lunch in the banquet hall.

"This is a very nice little retreat," Minerva began as a way of easing into conversation, "I never knew that there were so many winter sports. In fact, I never knew that witches and wizards would participate in muggle sports like skiing or snowboarding !" The fact that this resort was dedicated solely to witches and wizards who were interested in winter sports was rather astonishing.

"I doubt any of the representatives will be doing much skiing, though," Albus sighed longingly as he glanced at the awe-inspiring view of the mountain landscape. "It is, however a beautiful location."

Once they were seated at a table, Minerva tried again to close the gap between them, "You know, until Moody told me of this mission, I wasn't even aware that of the situation at Hogwarts."

"Yes, I suppose being gone so often does tend to crimp one's ability to get the latest news. Such a tragedy, Armando's death. Who would have anticipated that a trip to Peru would have been so dangerous?" Albus sighed.

"Well, this must leave you in quite a fix for staff." Minerva prompted. She was determined to carry on a conversation.

"Well, Armando left some positions unoccupied. We are in need of a new Herbology teacher, as well as a flying instructor. I have promise from the current Professors that they will stay for this year, but I need to find others. And because I'm the new Headmaster we need a new Transfiguration Professor and Deputy. " Albus sighed, "Unfortunately, my adds in the Daily Prophet have presented no promising candidates."

From there, the conversation picked up, and before she knew it, Minerva was relaxing and laughing with the Headmaster of Hogwarts. They returned to their rooms after the meal. The evening opening ceremonies were about to start.

The conference itself went rather smoothly. Albus found that there were several teachers seeking positions at schools, who had attended in hopes of capturing a job. That night, they retired to their suite, both very weary from the trip and a night of socializing. Albus began to loosen his dress robes and sat down on the couch to take off his shoes. Minerva couldn't stop herself laughing as she saw the ridiculous neon green socks he was wearing.

"What are you laughing at, Minerva?" Albus froze. It was the first time he had used her give name. There was an awkward pause as both realized this, "I'm sorry. That was very rude of me."

Minerva stepped into her room to remove her outer wrap. She didn't say anything in response to his apology. She had liked the sound of her name on his lips, but couldn't find a way to tell him this. Interpreting her silence as anger, Albus continued.

"It's so hard for me to call you McGonagall." He admitted gently, "Whenever I start to say it I think of Horatio, even after all these years. He was such a remarkable man, and an impeccable apprentice…"

"Don't apologize. This was foolish of me. I just didn't know how to handle this relationship," Minerva slid into a chair across from Albus and put her head in her hands. "There is so much history between us…"

"It's really my fault. I requested that you be assigned to me on this mission. Moody laughed at the idea of me needing a body guard at all. But I have wanted to see you again for some time, Minerva. This seemed like the only way to get to you."

"Ah. I see." Minerva sat up in her chair, feeling very awkward. "I don't know what to say."

"Well, maybe we could play a game of chess instead. I'm sure we can find a board and pieces somewhere in this resort." Albus smiled hopefully. This situation could still be salvaged.

Over the chess board, they slowing jerked and jolted back into a shadow of the old relationship they had held. Albus discussed several of the candidates he was considering for each of the positions.

"Pomona Sprout had recently come back from a long study on rare plants of the African Jungles. She is a very qualified witch. She's done a good deal of pioneering work in her field. I'm just not sure if she's ready to settle down to a teaching job yet." Albus sighed.

"Well, Pomona was in my year at Hogwarts, and she was always a good student, and she helped Poppy, Xiomara, and I pass many a Herbology exam."

"Ah! Speaking of Xiomara, I was considering her for the flying instructor's position!" Albus beamed.

"But she plays Quidditch professionally for the Harpies doesn't she?" Minerva stopped him.

"She did. But she took a nasty bludger to the head, knocked her out cold for five days. Her fall also broke several ribs, and a wrist." Albus informed her, "She hasn't been able to attend practices for a month, and it's believed that she's looking to retire. Thirty is getting rather old to play a professional sport."

"Well, it seems like you have to very good people selected for those positions." Minerva nodded, "But what about the Transfigurations Professor and Deputy?"

"Well, I was really hoping to locate one at the conference." Albus admitted. "But so far, none seem very promising." Albus sighed.

"Well, It's getting rather late, and we have a long day tomorrow." Minerva clucked. She stood up, "You still have Saturday and Sunday to find someone." And she left to her room and shut the door.

Albus stared after her and whispered, "I all ready have."

All day Saturday they moved from one meeting to the next, debating the principles of theory versus practice, student teacher ratios, and homework. It felt like Minerva was back in school again. Even lunch was filled with business as she was surrounded by arguments that had trickled out of previous meetings. The dinner that night was less brisk though. The American coordinators of the event thought it would be a good idea to have a dance to promote a bit of harmony and relaxation in the midst of the discussions.

Albus insisted on escorting Minerva on his arm, despite her protests about professionalism. And they even danced once that night.

"You should be interviewing other candidates for the Transfigurations and Deputy positions right now!" Minerva protested as they twirled onto the floor.

"We're here tonight to relax, Minerva" Dumbledore admonished.

Evening ended on a sour note, when one of East Indian delegates was offended at the Headmistress of Beaubaton's offer to dance. The rest of the attendees slowly trickled away after their heated argument. Albus and Minerva went back to their respective rooms without much conversation.

Sunday, Albus seemed rather dispirited. He was tired of all the international tension. For Minerva, this was fairly normal, and she would often catch herself staring out the massive windows to admire the amazing view.

"May I join you?" Albus whispered as he sat down beside her after particularly loud meeting.

"You just did," Minerva grinned at him.

"Not completely, part of you is still out on those mountains." Albus observed. "What are you pondering, Minerva?"

"I'm so tired of all this!" She sighed, "Xerxes warned me that diplomacy would disappoint me, but I refused to listen. Now it's been ten years! And we're just as close to a world wars as the day I started!! It's like running very fast, but in a circle!"

"Negotiations have always frustrated me!" Albus smiled, "That's why I've never wanted a ministry career! Hogwarts seems very secluded, like a sort of paradise, when compared to this." He added glancing at Minerva

"You know, I've missed talking to you," Minerva smiled, "There was always something between us, and during our conversations, it seemed so warm and natural."

"My dear, there was something between us. But I could never let it show," Albus sighed, "By the time I realized what I felt, you were spoken for. So I was only permitted a shadow of what I felt for you."

"Albus!" Minerva almost jumped away in shock, "You… you had feelings for me?"

"If you want to know the truth, I still do," He answered sadly, "But I understand. We've been through too much, and I probably don't interest you to begin with…"

"Albus, stop! Listen to me!" Minerva took his hands, "I carried the same feelings for you. But we were both reduced to holding only a shadow of substance when I was married. And after that…"

"Minerva, come to Hogwarts!" Albus pleaded desperately, "You could be the Transfigurations Professor and my Deputy! It would mean a great deal to me. And we would have time to explore possibilities we have ignored."

"Albus, I… I don't know," Minerva stood up, rather dumbfounded, "This is happening very fast! Let me think about it. I think I'll go back to our suite. "

"All right," Albus stood as well, and watched her walk quickly away. Lunch was being served, but he could hardly think of food.

Back in the suite, Minerva fire-called Alyssia. She told her Albus's proposal and her feelings about it, and asked for Alyssia's advice.

"What are you doing here?" Alyssia practically shouted, "of course you want to work at Hogwarts!! Minerva, I've been telling you for years that it was time for you to settle down!! Here's your best chance! Now take it!!"

"But what about my relationship with Albus?" Minerva asked desperately.

"Oh, the governors wouldn't mind. Headmasters and Headmistresses have been known to have relationships with their Deputies. As to whether or not it will work out, who can say? He has loved you for years, darling. And I know that you've felt something for him as well." Alyssia smiled at her, "Give it a chance. See where fate takes you."

Minerva came back to lunch slightly breathless.

"Albus," She began, sitting down at the table he was occupying. "I'll accept your offer!!"

"Thank you, Minerva!!" Albus jumped from his seat, to the weird glances of several delegates, "you've made me the happiest man alive!!"

"Thank you, Albus," Minerva smiled at his antics, "You've helped me find myself. And given life to the shadow of my heart."

A/N Whew! That was forever and a half to finish!! Please review, and thank you to my faithful reviewers!! It's nice to hear from you guys! Now, all this writing in the snowy mountains has given me some ideas for fluff…


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